Revelation 18-The Destruction of the City of Babylon (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday August 21, 2024

The Day of the Lord Series: Revelation 18-The Destruction of the City of Babylon

Lesson # 36

Revelation 18 describes the destruction of political and commercial Babylon as it is embodied in the city of Babylon, the headquarters of Antichrist.

A literal interpretation of Zechariah 5:5-11 demands a restored and rebuilt Babylon.

Revelation 17 describes Babylon in its mystery form, as a religious system or spirit of false worship whereas Revelation 18 describes Babylon as a political and commercial system embodied in a city, the city of Babylon of the future.

Revelation 16:18-19 reveals that the literal city of Babylon will be destroyed by a world-wide earthquake, which is the result of the execution of the seventh bowl judgment.

The Babylon mentioned in Revelation 18 undoubtedly includes an actual city that will be rebuilt on the Euphrates and is a politico-commercial system that becomes the means and basis of a new worldwide religious system by which the beast will be worshipped (Rev. 13).

Revelation 18:1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. (NIV84)

“After this” refers to the seven seal judgments (5-8:5), the seven trumpet judgments (8:2-9:21; 11:15-19), the seven bowl judgments (16), and the destruction of “religious” Babylon, i.e., the apostate church (17).

Revelation 18:2 With a mighty voice he shouted: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. (NIV84)

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” is a prophetic way of declaring that God’s great purpose in triumphing over evil is a fait accompli.

This passage reveals that “politico-commercial” Babylon is demonic since the fallen angels will be imprisoned there during the millennium (Compare Isaiah 13:19-22; Jeremiah 50:38-40).

Revelation 18:3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” (NIV84)

Revelation 18:3 also reveals that the godless commercialism of Babylon is world-wide since the angel makes clear that every nation and leader on earth has turned away from God for the almighty dollar and the luxuries that it can buy.

International commerce tries to unify humanity through internationalism and promotes a spirit of self-confidence, independence, and rebellion against God as it existed in Babel in the time of Nimrod (Genesis 11).

The spirit of commercialism causes cities to become swollen with people which increases crime, violence, negative volition, and ironically, poverty.

Business, trade, making the almighty dollar, etc., becomes more important than God (Isa. 2:5-7; Hosea 12:1, 7, 8; James 4:13).

Revelation 18:4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. 6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. 7 Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.’ 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. (NIV84)

Revelation 18:7-8 contains “the law of retaliation” meaning that because of the arrogance of this godless commercial system that has assumed a position like that of a queen and glorified itself, thus to the same degree that this system has rebelled against God, He retaliates in righteous indignation to dethrone this system.

Revelation 18:9-19 reveals the reactions of different groups of people mourning the destruction of the great city of Babylon by the world-wide earthquake.

Revelation 18:9 “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: “ ‘Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!’ (NIV84)

In Revelation 18:11-17 records the reaction of the merchants or businessmen of the earth mourning Babylon’s destruction who bemoan the fact that the wealth of Babylon has been destroyed.

Revelation 18:11 “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men. 14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out: “ ‘Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! (NIV84)

Revelation 18:17-19 records the reaction of the shipmasters of the world and the sailors that they employed who were made rich by the wealth of the city of Babylon and their passengers that they carried mourning the destruction of the city of Babylon.

Revelation 18:17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’ “Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: “ ‘Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! (NIV84)

Notice that the wailing of the businessmen of the world is greater than that of the leaders of the world and the shipmasters, sailors and bystanders because their loss is greater.

Also, notice that with each of these different groups of people, their happiness is based upon the materialism that Babylon provided them and this is indicated by the fact that they are in mourning because they no longer can become wealthy through the city of Babylon.

Now, in direct contrast to the reaction of the inhabitants of the cosmic system of Satan, in Revelation 18:20-24, the inhabitants of heaven are commanded by God to rejoice over the destruction of Babylon.

Revelation 18:20 Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.’” (NIV84)

The Lord commands His people to rejoice since God has judged their case against the city of Babylon and executed from her a just penalty.

Revelation 18:21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. (NIV84)

The angelic act of throwing the millstone into the sea is symbolic of Babylon’s fate in the sense that as it is impossible for that huge stone to rise to the surface, so the economic system that has driven Satan’s cosmic system throughout human history will sink and never resurface again in human history.

Revelation 18:22-23 records the extent and nature of Babylon’s fall in that no more music and entertainers or craftsmen, the food supply will disappear as well as industry and social life will cease.

Revelation 18:22 The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. 23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. 24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.” (NIV84)

Revelation 18:23-24 records three reasons for the destruction of Babylon:

(1) “Your merchants were the world’s great men”: Men whom the world regards as great have enriched themselves and lifted themselves up in pride because of Babylon’s influence.

(2) “By your magic spell all the nations were led astray”: Babylon has seduced men into thinking that joy, security, honor and meaning in life come through the accumulation of material wealth.

(3) “In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.”: The commercial economic system of Babylon has murdered God’s people throughout human history.

The destruction of the city of Babylon as recorded in Revelation 18 is the final event that brings about the end of the times of the Gentiles, which began when the Babylonian army attacked Jerusalem in 605 B.C. (Compare Luke 21:24).

Revelation 18 brings an end to the record of events that will take place during the Tribulation period, i.e., the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week, which culminates with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which is recorded in Revelation 19.